Supco justice yells ‘tyrant’ at AG

State Supreme Court Justice Richard Sanders says he was speaking his conscience when he stood up and yelled “tyrant!” at U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey last week.

Mukasey was the keynote speaker at a black-tie dinner Thursday night in Washington, D.C. for The Federalist Society, a conservative legal group. He opened his speech about the Bush administration’s fight against terrorism.

In a statement released Tuesday, Sanders said he “passionately” disagrees with the current administrations policies and felt compelled to say so.

He says he stood up and said “tyrant” and then walked out.

Mukasey later fainted and collapsed. He was released from the hospital the next day. Sanders says he did not learn of the collapse until later and wishes Mukasey well.

I want to set the record straight about a dinner I attended on November 20, in
Washington, D.C., sponsored by the Federalist Society — a conservative and libertarian
legal group of which I am a member. Attorney General Michael Mukasey was the
keynote speaker.

In his speech, Attorney General Mukasey justified the Bush administration’s policies in
the War on Terror, which included denying meaningful hearings for prisoners in
Guantanamo, and other questionable tactics, all in the name of national security. Mr.
Mukasey said those who criticize the Administration for abandoning provisions of the
Geneva Conventions fail to recognize that “… Al Qaeda [is] an international terrorist
group, and not, the last time I checked, a signatory to the Conventions.”

Although the United States is a signatory, and these Conventions prohibit torture, the audience laughed. Attorney General Mukasey received a standing ovation. I passionately
disagree with these views: the government must never set aside the Constitution;
domestic and international law forbids torture; and access to the writ of habeas corpus
should not be denied.

The program provided no opportunity for questions or response, and I felt compelled to
speak out. I stood up, and said, “tyrant,” and then left the meeting. No one else said
anything. I believe we must speak our conscience in moments that demand it, even if we
are but one voice.

I hope those who know my jurisprudence will agree that to truly love the Constitution is to
uphold it, to speak out for it, not just in times of peace and prosperity, but also in times of
chaos and crisis.

I did not “heckle” Attorney General Mukasey, and I did not disrupt the meeting, as those
who watch the video of his speech on the Federalist Society’s website will discover. I left
before Mr. Mukasey had his frightening collapse. I learned of his collapse later, from
news reports. It should go without saying that, despite our vastly different views on what
constitutes upholding the rule of law, I hope he continues to recover and remain in good
health.